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Monday, August 1, 2011

Melbourne: An Australian radio show host is facing criticism from the Indian community over his reportedly derogatory comments on India and Hinduism, in which he called river Ganga a 'junkyard'.

A Sydney-based Indian group is seeking an apology from the radio station following a report that host Kyle Sandilands made anti-India comments on his "Kyle and Jacky O" show.

According to a report by a local ethnic TV programme 'Desi Kangaroos', Sandilands said "India is a shit hole" and went further to describe river Ganga as a 'junkyard'.

The Council of Indian Australians (CIA) lashed out on Sandilands for the "insulting" remarks, and has said it would take up the issue with Australia's media regulatory body if it was not amicably resolved.

"Sandilands made insulting comments against India and ridiculed River Ganges which is a sacred river in Hinduism. His ridicule involved some of the practices of the followers of Hinduism," CIA president Yadu Singh said in an official statement.

Singh said he found Kyle's comments "insensitive, insulting, hurtful and unwarranted" and that he was upset and angered by them.

"Indian Australian community is a peaceful and tolerant community... It does not attack any nation, national group or religious practices of any group. It is obviously not happy when others attack them or their belief system," he said.

The body has written to his radio station, demanding an apology from it and from Sandilands.

It said it will pursue the matter and will seek a satisfactory resolution, failing which the matter will be pursued with Australian Communication & Media Authority (ACMA).